Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Going down into the water, and being born again



(not a post about baptism)

I love water . . . and mountains  . . . and Montana


In March I was down with a bad back. My back has gone out a few times since I had the twins. If you haven’t had back issues, count yourself lucky! I honestly couldn’t get off the couch to do anything besides go to the bathroom. Even then I cried because the pain was so bad. On that Sunday, when my husband was home, I took pain killers and muscle relaxers and slept the day away. It was really bad, and I knew that I had to do something. My core muscles are just trashed from having twins and I haven’t really known how to fix them.

I sent a message to my *trainer from my mission. She is a pilates instructor. I explained to her my situation and told her that I had heard that pilates is the only way to heal the abdomen muscles after twins and a c-section. She confirmed what I had heard and gave me some exercises to start doing. In the course of our conversation she also gave me some healthy advice about exercising in general. She told me to research any rigorous physical activity that sparks my interest—something I would enjoy doing. I had heard a million times that you should find an exercise that you love so you will keep doing it. Yet once she posed the idea to me I realized that I couldn’t think of anything.

At this time my liver was doing awful and sucking the energy right out of me, I was in pain from my back, my depression was high, and honestly I felt like death would be welcome.

 I knew something had to change, If not for myself—for my family. I thought a lot about what my friend had said about finding something that would spark my interest.

Last summer, I completed the hardest workout ever as I played on the slip-n-slide for a couple of hours. I realized that I had really enjoyed it because it was fun and it involved WATER! I again realized how much I love water last summer when my husband and I went away for our anniversary and all I wanted to do was to spend as much time as I could in the hotel pool. I played around, swam laps, and overall just looked for reasons to stay in the pool. A couple of months ago it dawned on me that swimming could be that rigorous physical activity that she was talking about.

Leading up to my 35th birthday I decided to stop surviving and start living. So for my birthday I went to water aerobics. One of the local rec centers (we don’t have one in my town, but I live between two) offers water kickboxing on the 5th Sat. of every month. I went. I knew that since it was my birthday after all, the family wouldn’t complain.

The day before I had gone to JCPenny to see if I could find a men’s swimsuit to wear with my swimsuit. I walked into that first class with my black swimsuit and coral trunks. I was nervous and shy. As soon as I got into the water, my inhibitions seemed to dissolve into the pool. I have spent many hours with kickboxing work out videos so the moves were familiar. As I crouched under the water, I felt the flab on my arms ripple in the water. My inhibitions started creeping back until I reminded myself that no one could see, and even if they could—it didn’t matter. What good is a body if you don’t use it? even if people will make fun of you for trying.


When the workout was done, I got out of the water a new person. I knew I had found my rigorous physical activity that I LOVED! I started my birthday refreshed, renewed and it didn’t seem like a chore for even one second.  My next task was to figure out how to make it to the pool EVERYDAY!

7 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing your story Tiff. Your opening up will not only help you, but I'm others I'm sure. Thanks for the exercise ideas. I think that is something I could do, and would enjoy.

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    1. It is a BLAST! There was a girl today that had come to water aerobics a few times. She said, "I just can't believe that it took me this long to find water aerobics!" It is kind of seen as an old lady thing, but I don't care!

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  2. Replies
    1. Go you!!!! Keep up the good work and positive attitude.

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    2. Go you!! Hang in there. You will become addicted to exercise, being healthy and feeling good.

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    3. Thank you Chantel! I can see the addiction forming! I kind of had a hard time falling asleep last night because I was so excited to go swimming in the morning!

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